What are power foods?

'Power foods' is a term introduced by Sonoma Diet's author Connie Guttersen. Sonoma diet basics are close to those of the Mediterranean diet. The list of power foods include:



Almonds

Bell peppers

Blueberries

Broccoli

Grapes (also wine)

Olive oil

Spinach

Strawberries

Tomatoes

Whole grains



Functional foods are a different story. The term Functional Foods is used to describe foods capable to produce certain health benefits. So called probiotics is a good example. Probiotics are friendly bacteria, for example, those making yogurts like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. They help to improve immune system, digestion, etc. Recently, research showed that yogurt help losing weight.



Functional foods with proved health benefits are also soy, Psyllium, whole oat products, fatty fish, garlic, black and green tea, dark green vegetables, and many others.

Nutrition and Red Wine

A recent dieting trend turned to the benefits of red wine. The Mediterranean group of traditional diets have red wine on their staple food list, along with olive oil and fish. Research showed that having a glass of red wine daily can prevent heart disease.

Health benefits of almonds

Almonds help reducing cholesterol better than oats and soy, the two recognized champions. Eating a handful of almonds with skins a day reduce risk of heart disease.



A study published in the May 2005 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that almonds can reduce artery-damaging inflammation.



Another study involving overweight and obese people showed that an almond-enriched low calorie diet can help shed pounds more effectively than a low calorie diet alone. Dieters eating almonds had a 62% greater fat and inches loss(International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, January 2, 2004)

Calorie Intake Calculation For Women's Weight Loss

It's true that consuming less calories than your body needs to support breathing, pump the blood, repair the tissues, etc. will slow your metabolism -- but the exact amount of those calories is not same for different people.

Calorie intake can be very different for women depending on their body type, fitness level, workout intensities and frequencies, and resting metabolic level (how many calories you spend while doing nothing, at rest). Here are several steps to calculate <B>your individual</b> calorie intake.


Take your desired body weight in pounds; multiply by 4.35

Take the result of step 1; add 655
Take you height in inches; multiply by 4.32
Take your age; multiply by 4.7
Take the result of <i>step 3</i>; subtract the result of <i>step 4
Take the result of <i>step 2</i>, add to the result of <i>step 5</i>.
This is how many calories you can have daily and still lose weight.

Pink Lentils Are a Health Buff's Dream

The most common lentils are brown and green, but there are also black, yellow, red, and pink lentils. All lentils combine well with seasonings, all are rich in protein, calcium, and iron - so if you choose the pink variety, it must be just the color you like or want to add to your dish.

Dr. Weil recommends lentils as side dish in his Optimum Health Plan. For example, pink lentils can be curried and combined chopped steamed vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, etc. Garlic, ginger root , olive oil, and soy sauce can be added. Place lentils in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, land simmer for about one hour or until the lentils are soft or even mushy.

One cup of raw pink lentils provides incredible percentage of recommended daily values of many nutrients:

Copper 125 %
Folate 98 %
Iron 81 %
Phosphorus 56 %
Vitamin B-6 39 %
Zinc 50 %
Thiamin 49 %
Magnesium 35 %
Niacin 14 %
Riboflavin 10 %
Calcium 8 %

Emphasizing Certain Foods in Nutrition

According to the USDA, there are food groups that you should eat. But, new diet guidelines advise on those guidelines depending on your age, gender, and physical activity. The "good" foods are whole grains, plant oils, vegetables, fruits, legumes. Make sure that you consume only complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

Tracking Nutrition With a Food Diary

A great way to track your nutrition is through keeping a food diary. A food diary is a record of what and how much you eat at each meal, and the calories involved. You should also keep track of your liquid intake, especially the amount of water you drink each day. Keep track of your activities relative to your eating each day. The food diary will help you to control your calorie intake, and also to pin down the activities that may trigger your eating.

Avocados Responsible for the Health Benefits of Guacamole

Guacamole recipe is traced back in history to the Aztec's avocado sauce "ahuaca-hulli" and avocado is responsible for its nutrition value and health benefits: it contains more potassium than bananas, is the richest source of Beta-sitosterol, which blocks cholesterol absorption, as well as of antioxidants. The kinds of fat in avocados are all "good" fats and Californian avocados have higher fat contents than Florida's ones.

Calories in 1 cup of Guacamole made of avocados with raw onions, garlic, and lemon juice*: 367.53 and are almost entirely from fats though there's no cholesterol at all.

Other nutrients in 1-cup serving, in % of Daily Values:

Total Carbohydrate 6%
Dietary Fiber 46%
Protein 4.54g 9%


Vitamin A 28 %
Vitamin C 32 %
Calcium 3 %
Iron 13 %
Vitamin E 7 %
Thiamin 12 %
Riboflavin 14 %
Niacin 22 %
Folate 35 %
Vitamin B-6 32 %
Phosphorus 9 %
Magnesium 22 %
Zinc 6 %
Copper 30 %
__________
* Guacamole Recipe:

3 ripe avocados
1/2 small onion, minced
1 tbs. fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste

Scoop avocado flesh, add remaining ingredients; and stir untill smooth.

The Low Cholesterol Diet

A low cholesterol diet has been shown to prevent heart disease. However, recent research showed that it is based on very low fat foods while allowing high amounts of carbohydrates. Therefore, the Low Cholesterol Diet lowered not only "bad" LDL cholesterol levels in the blood but also "god" HDL cholesterol. A low carbohydrate diet will be high in healthy oils, which will increase the "good" cholesterol levels while lowering the "bad" ones.

How are calories in food being measured?

The simplest way to know about calories in a particular food is by reading its label. If you want to know how labels are being prepared consider this:



One calorie is the amount of heat it takes to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit.



If you will burn a food to heat a certain amount of water and measure water temperature, you'll be able to assess how many calories this food contained.



But you don't have to because it's been done for you in labs. They know that 1 gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, 1 gram of protein has 4 calories and 1 gram of fat has 9 calories, so the food labels are being created accordingly.

Calorie Requirement For a Nursing Mother

Production of milk requires the supply of up to 500 calories per day. To burn up these calories, one would have to bicycle uphill for an hour daily. Studies have shown that nursing women maintain breast milk supply by having 700 to 1000 additional calories totaling around 2700 Cal. per day. However, in most cases it's enough to listen to your body and satisfy your increased hunger. The Committee on Nutritional Status During Pregnancy and Lactation of the Institute of Medicine concluded that they were "impressed by evidence that mothers are able to produce milk of sufficient quantity and quality to support growth and promote the health of infants - even when the mother's supply of nutrients and energy is limited."

In the book Breastfeeding and Human Lactation by Jan Riordan (editor), you can read: "The amount of energy needed by lactating mothers continues to be debated. The lactating mother need not maintain a markedly higher caloric intake than that maintained prior to pregnancy: in most cases, 400-500 calories in excess of that which is needed to maintain the mother's body weight is sufficient."

As to body weight control during breastfeeding, the common sense and tradition recommends not to worry too much about it until your baby starts eating hard food. The best way to be back to your "normal" body is to start exercising more. To figure out your healthy weight, don't rely on your bathroom scales. Body fat % is a better indication of your body composition, which could change during pregnancy and nursing. It takes only a measuring tape and online calculator to estimate your body fat.

Protein Sparing Modified Fast

Very low carb, low fat, high protein, very low calories diet preventing muslce loss is the Protein Sparing Modified Fast Diet. This diet requires a close clinical supervision.



Energy intake is less than 800 Calories, protein intake is 1.5 to 2.5 grams (0.05 to 0.08 oz) for every kilogram (2.2 lbs) of body weight per day.



Remaining calories come from fats (40%) and carbohydrates - only from vegetable sources (10%) - so even a plan that low in carbohydrate is not a 'no carb diet'.



This diet is supplemented with calcium, potassium, vitamins and micronutrients. 2 litres of water is the minimal liquid daily intake.

Water: What's In the Bottle?

Dieters are advised to drink a lot of water. Recent research revealed that the reason why water is so important in weight loss dieting is its sheer volume, which is the most important signal to the body indicating that it's time to stop eating your meal. Soups, and juices work just as well -- but they contain calories, which water doesn't. From this standpoint, it doesn't matter what bottled water brand you choose: purified, spring, or mineral, or even just tap water. Their safety standards are the same.

Purified water is a tap water, from which excess chlorine and chemicals have been removed along with excess minerals

Spring water is collected directly from its natural source, springs, that are not strongly mineralized

Mineral water is spring water that contains useful minerals and trace elements; it can have therapeutic qualities, for example, alkaline water can help in gastric ulcer or heart burn and acidic water can help in case of indigestion

In addition to its volume, mineral water containing significant amounts of calcium can aid in weight loss since there's scientific evidence that calcium is needed in the fat mobilizing process in adipose tissues.

Negative Calorie Balance

Negative calorie balance can be achieved through:

1) reducing calorie intake while keeping calorie expenditure (physical work or exercise, maintaining the body warmth, etc.)

2) increasing energy expenditure while keeping calorie intake constant

3) combining both - this is proved to be the most efficient way.

The diet works by completely different mechanisms based on so called calorie density of foods. The less dense in calories a food the more satiating it is because our body is designed to feel full first of all depending on food volume. so the more calories in a cup of food, the more calorie we'll consume.

The foods in the Negative Calorie diet are very low calorie density, mostly vegetarian, low fat foods.

Citrus Zest In Healthy Recipes

Many healthy recipes call for lemon, lime, or orange zest. Citrus zest is good for your health due to its high content of bioflavanoids. Bioflavonoids are potent plant antioxidants promoting functions of our heart and blood vessels, protecting our tissues from substances causing tumors and from premature aging, supporting the immune system and joint health, and fighting inflammation and allergies. Studies have shown their role in protecting vitamin C from being destroyed in the intestines and in protecting us from some viruses and bacteria, especially from ear and throat infections.

Tips:

• Wash the fruit before zesting
• The white inner pith is bitter so avoid it during zesting
• The best zest make citruses that are firm, colorful, and slightly bumpy, with thick skin

The power of broccoli

Broccoli is considered a power food because of its exceptional nutritional value. As an article published in September 2004 issue of the Journal of Nutrition revealed, it contains plant chemicals with significant cancer-preventive effects.



Broccoli is one of the small number of vegetables and fruits that significantly reduced the risk of heart disease, as showed research reported in May 4, 2004 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.



Here's an almost full list of nutrients in 1 cup of broccoli (first figure is amount; % is for Daily Values):



Calories 24.64

Calories from Fat 2.77

Total Fat 0.308g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.0475g 0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.147g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.0211g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 23.76mg 1%

Potassium 286mg 8%

Total Carbohydrate 4.61g 2%

Dietary Fiber 2.64g 11%

Protein 2.62g 5%



=====

Vitamin A 27 %

Vitamin C 137 %

Calcium 4 %

Iron 4 %

Vitamin D 0 %

Vitamin E 3 %

Thiamin 3 %

Riboflavin 5 %

Niacin 3 %

Folate 16 %

Vitamin B-6 7 %

Vitamin B-12 0 %

Phosphorus 6 %

Magnesium 6 %

Zinc 2 %

Copper 2 %

Garlic and weight loss

Garlic (Allium sativum) is shown to be potent normalizer of lipid (fat) metabolism. It reduced overeating in diabetic experimental animals. Garlic extract supplementation was included in the clinical study of a very low carbohydrate diet and shown to significantly help in weight loss, along with other supplements like chromium, etc. The results were published in the American Journal of Medicine, 2002, Volume 113.



As to the way of taking garlic, it depends on several factors to be considered. The efficiency of any food depends on how it's prepared and eaten.



If you chew on a garlic clove, it becomes similar to minced garlic and can be expected to be absorbed equally well. On the other hand, swallowing a whole garlic clove can hardly be effective since its tough texture will prevent the beneficial nutrients from getting into its target organs and tissues.

Soluble fibers foods

Soluble fibers bind some fat from food preventing it from absorbing, help in slowing down carbohydrate absorption, lower cholesterol, especially 'bad' LDL cholesterol. There is preliminary information that they can prevent certain kinds of cancer.



The following foods are good sources of soluble fibers:



psyllium husk

oatmeal

oat-bran

nuts and seeds

legumes (dried peas, beans, lentils)

apples

pears

oranges

strawberries

blueberries

barley

Nutrients in foods resources

One of the best free sites offering nutritional analysis of foods and meals is the fitday.com.



Another serious source of very detailed information on caloric, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, microelemznts, and many other food ingredients can be found at http://www17.netrition.com/cgi/foods.cgi

Diets and Dieting - Can a Diet Be Healthy?

"Dieting is the practice or habit of eating (and drinking) in a regulated fashion, usually with the aim of losing weight." -- wikipedia.org

This definition reflects the current lay public's idea rather than one of nutritionists and dietitians. Generally speaking, dieting is a more or less consistent way of eating. A kid can say "I'm on McDonald's diet" and make no error in this statement.

An interesting consequence of the commonly accepted definition's standpoint is a doubt that a diet can be healthy. Because to lose weight, one should go on a reduction diet and there's no reduction diet that would insure adequate nutrition.

The matter is, the human body is designed to get all needed nutrients coupled with much more energy (calories) than the body of modern man can burn by physical efforts of everyday living. This is why increasing physical activities by exercising more plus a diet works better than any of these alone.

Nutrition and the Food Pyramid

The food pyramid is an outline produces by the USDA that is used to guide proper nutrition. It is arranged along the lines of the five major food groups (dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables, and grains). New guidelines don't offer one pyramid for everybody but rather differentiate age and gender groups.

New Food Pyramid places exercise in the basis of the pyramid, next layer compose the grains (USDA now comments that at least 1/2 of them should be whole grains) and plant oils. Upper levels are occupied by fruits and vegetables, legumes, etc. Red meats sit on top of the pyramid.

Nutritionist vs. Dietitian

The term has "nutritionist" has no standard of education or training - anyone could use the title even with no background in this field. If you decide to get help from such a specialist, you need to verify their qualifications.



For example, a PhD in physiology or biochemistry with experience in human nutrition can be a valuable source of dieting advice while a self-named expert who failed to prove his or her credentials can be a worse choice than "dietitians" that can be registered or licensed.



The Registered Dietitian is a nationally recognized title for nutrition expert. The Registered Dietitian is required to complete education and pass a special board exam. There's also official term Licensed Dietitian - these dietitians are licensed by a state to ensure that only qualified professionals provide nutrition services.

Nutrients supporting learning

Here is the list of nutrients suggested by the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine



The strongest effect had magesium, vitamins B1 and B6, Zn, and folic acid, followed by vitamin C, L-glutamine, and primrose oil. Manganese was found to have mild adverse effects.

Calorie vs. kilocalorie

The so called 'small calorie' is the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water from 14 °C to 15 °C.



The 'large calorie' is the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kilogrma of water from 14 °C to 15 °C. This is exactly 1000 small calories.



In nutrition, they used large calories but write them with tha capital C - not calories but Calories, meaning 1000 small calories. For example, 1 gram of sugar has about 3.95 kilocalories but on the labels, you'll see 3.95 Cal.



1 Joule is approximately 0.239 small calories.

Potato, Mango, and Weight Loss

Eating one food or another on a weight loss program obviously depends on the program. If you are on a calorie restriction diet, you should take into account the number of calories in the amount of potato or mango you eat.

If you are on a low fat diet, there's nothing to say against potato but the fat in mango can be an obstacle. If you are on a low carb diet, it can be a no-no for initial phases of just about any of them but can be OK for later stages if you stay within your carb intake limits.

On any diet, you should remember that both foods are not on the low-calorie density food lists and their rather high calorie density (calories in a given volume) can hinder your satiety process at any given meal.

One cup of sliced white potato has 137.61 Cal. and one cup of sliced mango has 107.25 Cal. Compare with calories in the same one cup of low calorie-density foods:

Cucumber: 14.28
Cabbage: 17.5
Celery: 19.84
Carrots: 52.46

The unexplained fact however is, that potato sits on top of the satiety index meaning that after eating, for example, 200-calorie worth of potato you feel full longer than after eating the same calorie in the form of any other food!

Are There Calorie Restricted, Nutritionally Balanced Diets?

What do the nutritionists mean when they advise that a diet should be nutritionally balanced? If by "balance" they mean the right proportion of essential nutrients, a low calorie diet can be nutritionally balanced, all right. However, this is not what we usually want from a diet: we really worry about getting enough nutrients and this is not what we're going to have when we restrict calories. Why?

Our bodies need the same nourishment that was good for our predecessors tens of thousands of years ago, but our current lifestyle doesn't give us a chance to get it. The calorie intake from a diet based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) values for 50 essential nutrients is coupled with at least 4,000 and up to 10,000 Calories! This amount was about the same that was needed by our cave dwelling ancestors simply to survival. Theirs was a life spent on their feet; hunting prey; escaping predators; spending enormous amounts of energy to stay warm during winter or to cool during hot weather; fighting infections and parasites; losing blood; healing wounds; gathering edible plants; and women being either pregnant or nursing.

Here comes the energy flux idea based on the fact that eating more and exercising much more is a better way to maintain healthy weight and general health than eating less and exercising less: the greater energy turnover (flux) the better for you and a part of it is getting enough nutrients and burning the coupled calories off.

GL and Beans

Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)are quite healthy a food because they are high in "good" carbs - their glycemic load is low.



The glycemic load (GL) describes ow many carb grams enter your bloodstream after you eat a standard serving.



Comparing different beans, the origin matter a lot. Take a look at these figures -- the digits are GL for a 150-g (0.3 lbs) serving:



* Chickpeas:

Philippines 3

Canada 9



* Kidney beans:

India 5

USA 6

France 6

Sweden 6

Canada 7



* White beans:

Philippines 3



*Black bean

Philippines 5

Cholesterol-lowering Bread and Online Program

The Bimbo bakeries, one of the pioneers to offer 100% Whole Wheat bread, started manufacturing in the US "Oroweat," the first cholesterol-lowering bread ever. The bread variations are:

• Oroweat Whole Grain & Oat bread
• Oroweat Whole Grain & Flax bread
• Oroweat Whole Grain White

They all contains components known to be choesterol-beneficial -- Omega-3 fatty acids, fibers, vitamin E, cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, etc. Breads enriched with cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, which have previously been used in dairy products and spreads, could soon be permitted by the European Commission. The Mix & Base bread mixes supplier launched a product that offers a cholesterol lowering bread mix containing oat bran and beta-glucans, reports bakery-net.com.

Reading food labels - calorie count and fiber grams

Nutirional information on food labels shows total calories, which are the sum of calories from fat, carbohydrates, and protein - 9 Cal. for every gram of fat, 4 Cal. for 1 gram of carbs, and 4 Cal. for 1 gram of protein.



However, when they write 'carbohydrates' on a label, they mean so called Net carbs meaning total carb grams minus fiber grams.



This is a good news because it means less total calories. The bad news is 'hidden carbs' such as maltodextrin or dextrose, which are starch products and are in fact carbohydrates. Another group to be ware of are sugar alcohols or or polyols. If you see them an a label, count their grams as carbohydrate grams.

Eating Lean for Nutrition

An easy way to reduce your fat intake for a successful low fat diet is to slim down some of the foods that you eat. You don't have to give up eating meat, but you should try to opt for leaner meats. Eat leaner cuts of beef, skinless chicken breasts, and fish. Substitute eggs with egg whites to reduce fat and cholesterol. Switch to nonfat milk and avoid greasy foods.

Green tea, soy, and oats fighting eye dark circles

Dark circles and puffiness under the eyes occur when the blood is being retained in this ares. The supply of oxygen to the area is reduced. There are many products on the market targeting or promising to target the problem. What to choose?



Soy and rice bran peptides have been demonstrated to reduce blood stagnation in fine blood vessels under the eyes. They have also been shown to improve blood vessel elasticity and to increase blood supply to the eyelids. These two peptides fight enzymes working against collagen and elastin thus helping the skin retain its firmness.



The active complex of soy and rice bran peptides, along with oxydoreductase and natural antioxidants from teas, can be found in certain facial care products today. Read the label to make sure these active components are present in an "under eye' cream.







Dermatologists say green tea contains an anti-inflammatory, called EGCG, that reduces the fluid build-up that causes the dark circles and puffiness under the eyes. The tip is simple:



"Brew two bags, let cool, then use as a compress for 10 minutes," says Dermatologist Andrea Kunin, M.D., coauthor of The DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manual. To increase the "depuffing" effect, use caffeinated, she adds."



So steep and drink two or three cup of loose green tea - it's bet

Low carb diets and irregular periods

There's no clinical evidence that low carb diet by themselves cause irregular periods. Quite to the contrary, women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome reported that their irregular periods normalized on low carb diets.



However, if a low carb diet is being combined with severe calorie limitation and/or a very rapid weight loss occurs, irregular periods are not uncommon, but this is not diet-specific and is due to the starvation mode that can happen on any diet resulting in fat loss beyond a certain healthy limit

Oats and health: pros and cons

Oats don't contain uric acid. What they do contain are substances called purines that are being broken down forming the uric acid. People with kidney problems or gout should be careful about eating excess oat meals.



However, if you don't have these problems, don't neglect this wonderful food! Oat is officially included into not so long list of functional foods (foods proved to have beneficial health effects) just one cup of cooked oatmeal gives you 4 grams of soluble fiber that may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Plus, oats are one of the best amino acid sources of all grains. Amino acids are building blocks for proteins needed for tissues to grow and repair.

Food Pyramid Recommendations

The food pyramid dictates the number of servings you should have from the five main food groups, depending on your age and gender as well as activity level. For example, children are recommended to have from 1 to 1.5 cups of vegetable daily, older boys and girls have different recommendation. The largest amount is for men whose age is between 19 and 50 years - 3 full cups daily.

Fighting the Trans Fats

The burning of trans fats is not like burning the body fat. The trans fats are sometimes called "metabolic poisons" partly because of their ability to bind to an oxygen molecule and by doing this, interfere with the transport of oxygen and other nutrients into the cell. This can seem to have little to do with burning the trans fats but it has everything to do with fat burning in general.

Trans fat create insulin resistance, which keeps elevated insulin levels in the blood for much longer than it ordinarily would. It results in hunger so you have to eat. The long-term consequence is overeating resulting in further insulin problems - and a vicious circle begins.

Tip: the only way to avoid the dangers of trans fats is not to have them. Read the labels: manufacturers are now required to mention trans fat content on food labels. When eating out, avoid deep-fried foods.

How to de-carb a recipe

De-fatting recipes for low fat diets were based on substitutions. For example, you could use a cup of apple sauce instead of a cup of butter, or take low fat varieties of just about any product - sour cream, butter, etc.



Reducing carbohydrates in recipes is possible first of all by using artificial sweeteners, nut flours instead of white flours, or, again, buying ready low carb products.



But how can one reduce carbohydrates in dairy, fruits or carb-rich vegetables like red beets? It is possible to do by fermenting the foods. For example, milk can have 11 carb grams in 1/2 cup but being turned into yogurt, same milk has only 4 carb grams.



Less known is the technique of fermenting fruits and vegetables though sour kraut is an example of a common food. Historically, the Russians fermented foods a lot in order to preserve them for long, cold winters. They fermented cabbage, red beets, mushrooms, apples, watermelons - you name it, they did it. In the process of fermentation, the friendly bacteria eat carbohydrates and release specific acids preserving the food and giving it a very special flavor, different for different products, temperatures, even the wood type used for barrels where the fermentation took place.

Low carb diet - how many carb grams?

A diet suggesting daily carbohydrate intake over 100 grams is not a low carb diet.



It doesn't mean however that it's a bad diet. The South Beach Diet is not a low carb diet, it's about good or bad carbs and good or bad fats, but it works for people with "apple" body type.



There's is a reason to doubt even Dr. Atkins' diet. On induction phase, 20 grams a day is allowed. However, since the diet doesn't limit protein intake, there's no way of telling how many carb grams enter your body because roughly 1/2 of the protein is being converted into glucose.



The only clinically correct low carb diet is the ketogenic diet which not only limit carb grams, but protein intake as well so that for every 1 gram of carbohydrates and protein combined, there was at least 4 fat grams.

Potassium Diets

Potassium can be lost from the body stores during overproduction or administration of corticosteroids, which can provoke excess potassium excretion. Potassium-deficient patients should avoid diuretics, laxative abuse, and antibiotics that may cause dangerously low potassium levels.

If you suspect that your potassium levels are low, make sure you have plenty of these foods:

Fish, especially salmon, cod, flounder and sardines
Meats
Vegetables, particularly broccoli, tomatoes, potato skins, spinach, lettuce and parsley
Fruits (you can have lemons, half of a tart green apple, or a quarter of a grapefruit on a low-carb diet)

Watch for These Signs of Potassium Deficit!

The most common symptom of potassium deficit is fatigue; initial symptoms of potassium deficiency include slow reaction, muscle weakness and dry skin.

Be especially attentive to the signs of potassium deficit if you are diabetic, pregnant or suffer from alcoholism.

The Most Important Meal Of the Day. Is There Such Thing?

You hear this all the time: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Is this true? It is, but only if you rely mostly on carbohydrates as energy source. Why?



We all wake up in the state of ketosis, when there's almost no carbohydrates left after the overnight fast (this is why breakfast is called breakfast -- breaking the fast) so the body must start running on ketone bodies, the products of fat metabolism. The matter is, our bodies have only very small carb depots comparing with the huge, practically limitless fat depots and by the time we get out of our beds, they are emptied. Now, if you normally eat little fat and substantial amount of carbohydrates, you indeed should replenish the carb depots by eating what's considered a 'complete breakfast'.



However, if you are on a low carb diet, the morning state of ketosis is a desirable condition and there's in fact no need to interrupt it. Your most important meal of the day can be lunch or dinner as is the case on the Carbohydrate Addict Diet.



TIP: If you haven't decided yet what diet to choose, a low carb diet (with breakfast being not-so-important meal of the day) can be right for you if you:



- get hungry before lunch

- cant stop to eat starches or sweets

- feel unsatisfied even though have just finished a meal

- eat even though are not really hungry

- are unable to keep from snacking at night

- feel very sluggish after a large meal

- get tired in the afternoon

Low carb pastas - what are they made of?

Usually, low carb pastas have below 10 Net carb grams (total minus fibers) per serving and are based on soy protein and fibers that manufacturers call "protected carbohydrates" meaning that they are not digestable. Though generally low in some of the vitamins and minerals, this pastas can be high in another. For example, Dreamfields Low-Digestible Pasta, Linguine (http://www.netrition.com/cgi/goto.cgi?aid=339&url=bella_vita_pasta_page.html) contains per 2-oz serving (% of Daily value):



Thiamin (B1) 30%

Riboflavin (B2) 15%

Niacin (B3) 20%

Folic Acid 25%

Foods Helping the Gallbladder

Here's food list that the naturopathic physicians recommend for gallbladder and bile secretion support and general liver cleansing:

# 1 is olive oil!

Avocado
Asparagus
Beets
Brazil nuts
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Brown Rice
Carrots
Cold-pressed flax seed oil
Garlic
Guava
Lemons
Limes
Melons
Mushrooms
Pears
Parsnips
Seaweed
Turmeric
Radish
Spinach
Tomatoes
Wheatgerm
Papaya
Plantains
Onion
Watermelon

Variety in Food and Nutrition

Eating a variety of foods insures that you will obtain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that you need in your diet. You can increase variety in your diet by planning your meals around the five major food groups.

Plan your meals starting with most nutritious foods - have a big bowl of salad based on dark green veggies, dress it with olive or tree nut oils, lemon juice, etc. Have fruits rather than pastry for dessert. Most of the time, when you finish with what's good for you, you are already full.

Diet sodas versus regular sodas

Setting aside the potential side effects of artificial sweeteners, let's discuss what artificial sweeteners do to your body. Did you know that blood sugar level sharply increases long before a sugary drink or food can really be digested and absorbed? Well, it does. This body reaction is called the "cephalic phase of insulin release" and does not require not even sugar but even any artificial sweetener.



Once being released, insulin start doing its usual business: it takes carbs stored by the body into the blood. The emptied stores don't passively wait for the next meal, they start signaling to the brain to hurry up and fill them in. What we feel at this time is whether hunger for any food or cravings for sweet foods. Both feelings, being satisfied, result in caloric overeating - unless you count calories and keep them under control.



So you choice actually is not diet versus regular soda but getting hungry for nothing or not. If you choose to avoid getting hungry, choose water or better yet tea.

Nettles For Your Health: Nutrition Facts and a Recipe

Nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of the first plants to show up in spring. It contains many valuable nutrients including vitamin C and many minerals. Like all greens, they're full of chlorophyll, the green stuff similar to hemoglobin so it's traditionally used to increase blood hemoglobin levels. The best for soups and salads are the youngest upper two or four leaves.

Russian Nettle Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups nettles, rinsed with boiling water and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T rice (uncooked)
2 eggs
Juice of 1 lemon
1 sprig parsley, root and greens, chopped
1 stalk celery (with leaves), chopped
1 T fresh baby dill, chopped
8 peppercorns, whole
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 liters of water or any broth
Salt (to taste)

Place rice, parsley, celery, spices, onion and salt in the broth or water in a saucepan and boil 10-12 minutes. Add the nettles, boil 10 more minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover with several towels and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and garlic; garnish with sour cream and fresh dill.

Dieting and healthy bones

Any restrictive diet can result in calcium deficit and make your bones weaker because less calories unfortunately means less nutrients getting into your body. Low carb diets are no exclusion. For one thing, they advise against diary and diary is our major source of calcium.



But did you know that yogurt or any other fermented dairy food is rather low in carbohydrates? Milk has around 11 carb grams in 1/2 cup but only 4 grams remains after the friendly bacteria eat the carbs up.



Amazingly, yogurt labels list the amount of carbs in the original food - milk - though it just can not be true. So don't believe the label and go ahead, have your yogurt - and healthy bones - on your low carb diet!

Beans are Nutritious

Beans are very low in fat and because of that, they have low calorie density while having high nutrient content: for example, they supply over 30% Daily Values of fofolatend 9% Daily Values of potassium. Also, their fiber content is higher than in most other foods.

All kind of beans provide soluble fiber, which traps cholesterol before it's absorbed. Eating just a cup of cooked beans a day decreases your risk of heart disease by 20% and helps to create more insulin receptors thus helping people with ininsulinesistance and diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels.

Due to the phphytochemicalsisisoflavinslalagninssasapopinnd protease inhibitors) in beans, they can inhibit tumor growth. Research showed that it's enough to eat 3/4 cup cooked beans a day for this bebenefitialealth effect.

What beans are best for your health? It depends on the benefit you are looking for. Less calorie-dense, lowest in cacarbsand most fiber-rich are blblackeyeeans, they are also richest in fofolate next best being kidney beans, which are also lowest in calories from fat. Most calcium rich are navy beans. Small red beans have the highest concentration of iron.

Diets that don't harm health

For different health conditions, taste preferences, body types, and personalities, there can be absolutely different "best" diets.



For instance, an apple-shaped women in her postmenopausal years can benefit from carbohydrate limitation while a young bodybuilder working out twice a day must have a lot of carbs while carefully planning his (or her) carbohydrate intake around exercises.



A marathon runner can eat pure sugar and chocolate and be skinny but a sedentary diabetic person will seriously ill after such a treat.



Generally speaking, nobody benefits from:



* refined carbohydrates like sugar or corn syrup

* foods fried in animal fats like lard

* cheap margarines based on hydrogenated oils

* fatty meats



Everybody benefits from:



* fresh leafy vegetables

* berries

* tree nuts and their oils

* olive oil

* fish: wild is better than farmed



Most diets in their maintenance phases should include:



* whole grains, especially oats, Perl barley, buckwheat, and millet

* fresh produce including less sweet fruits

* fermented diary like yogurt or kefir

Nutrients, Running, and Skin Problems

The calorie intake from a diet that would include the daily values for 50 essential nutrients varies, depending on nutritional density of foods, from 4,000 to 10,000 calories. Running 5 miles a day burns, depending on your running speed and body weight, 1000 to 1400 Cal. per hour, if you run 1 mile for 6 minutes. Or it can be as low as 500 to 700 Cal. per hour, if you run 5 mph. It seems that when you run, you have a better chance to get essential nutrients if you eat foods that are maximally rich in nutrients.



Now, what is known about red welts? It can be caused by metabolic diseases, medications, infectious diseases, autoimmune disease, or physical sensitivity. The last condition can be your case if your skin is sensitive to heat or cold, wind, and sweat that are common result of outdoor exercise. Some dermatologists suggest the following supplements to treat welts:



magnesium chloride

calcium gluconate

vitamin B2

vitamin B5

vitamin B6

vitamin C



The dozes can be the recommended daily values.

The Rainbow Colors of Nutrients

*Blue or dark purple* plants contain anthocyanins, phenols, antioxidants and are thought to have antiaging properties including preserving young memory. They reduce the risk of some cancers. The plants of this group include plums, purple asparagus, eggplant, and purple peppers, blueberries, bilberries, cherries, grapes, red wine, plums, purple cabbage



*Yellow or Orange* contain vitamin C, antioxidants, carotenoids, and biflavonoids. They are thought to help maintain a healthy heart, preserve vision, reduce the risk of some cancers, and promote a healthy immune system. Go orange with grapefruit, mangoes, nectarines, tangerines, lemons, carrots, and butternut squash.



*Red* color is partly due to the presence of phytochemicals lycopene and anthocyanins. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant and is one of the top ten cancer protectors. Anthocyanins are also good cancer-fighters. Vegetables and fruits in this group are: Apples, red plums, cherries, pomegranates, strawberries, tomatoes, beets, pink grapefruit, guava juice, red peppers. These foods also contain Beta carotene and Vitamin C



*Orange or deep yellow* produce contains lutein, vitamin C, antioxidants, carotenoids, and biflavonoids.They are cell protector from degenerative damages, for example, eye tissue during aging, and immune system enhancers. This group include: apricots, peaches, sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, mango, yellow peppers, grapefruit, nectarines, tangerines, lemons, and butternut squash.



*Green and dark green* vegetables contain lutein and antioxidants, they help reduce the risk of some cancers and keep bones and teeth strong. The list includes but is not limited to: spinach, broccoli; parsley, dill, romaine lettuce, kale, watercress, kiwi, arugula, artichokes, avocados, snap peas, green peppers, and zucchini.

Apple cider vinegar diets can work, but...

There's no scientific evidence that apple cider vinegar works as a diet aid. However, most diets that include apple cider vinegar as a part of their plans require portion control. They often eliminate entire food groups, and if the advice is to cut down on refined carbohydrates or excess animal fats, a diet can work but independently of the vinegar.

Icy Cold Water And Weight Loss

Swimming, especially in cold water, will definitely speed up the fat loss and so will drinking icy cold water. The question, however, is: how much fat you can burn using these techniques.

When you drink a 16-ounce glass of ice water, your body works to warm this amount of water from zero to 37 degrees C and in doing so, it "recruit" 17.5 Calories from your fat stores. How many fat grams will be burnt? Let's calculate. To get rid of 456 grams of fat (1 pound,) your body should burn 3,500 Cal.

To lose these grams by the icy cold water technique, you should drink 200 16-ounce glasses of water -- and, of course, keep the rest of your diet under control

Yeast, Soy, and Milk-free Diet

The type of diet that excludes several foods require simply avoiding them. To exclude yeast, choose flat breads, Swedish Wasa crisp bread, or soda breads.

It doesn't seem to be a problem to avoid soy (soja, soya) products. To exclude milk, choose fermented diary (yogurt and the like) or vegetable-based "milks" like rice or almond milk.

Low Potassium Diet Foods And Recipes

An example of low potassium recipe that can be prepared in 15 minutes and that contains just 178 mg of potassiul while being also low in sodium, is this turkey meatball recipe:

1/2 lb ground white meat turkey
1/2 lb lean ground pork
1/4 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup red currant jelly
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
2 Tbsp. seasoning

Combine turkey, pork, oats, egg, and Tomato Basil Garlic and Extra Spicy until well mixed. Shape into 20 meatballs. Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan. Cook meatballs over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until well browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center. Combine BBQ sauce, jelly and mustard in a small saucepan. Heat until jelly melts. Serve sauce seperately with meatballs.

Here's a sample list of low potassium foods that can be used to prepare your favorit dishes. If a there's a measure for a food, it means that only small amounts of it can be considered "low potassium".

Alfalfa sprouts
Apple (1 medium)
Asparagus
Apricots
Blackberries
Beans
Blueberries
White cabbage
Carrots, cooked
Cauliflower
Celery (1 stalk)
Corn, fresh (0.5 ear)
Cucumber
Cherries
Cranberries
Fruit Cocktail
Grapes
Grape Juice
Grapefruit (0.5 whole)
Eggplant
Kale
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Noodles
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Pasta
Peas, green
Peppers
Radish
Rhubarb
Rice
Mandarin Oranges
Peaches, fresh (1 small)
Pears, fresh (1 small)
Pineapple
Pineapple Juice
Plums (1 whole)
RaspberriesStrawberries
Tangerine (1 whole)
Watermelon(limit to 1 cup)
Vegetables
Water Chestnuts
Water cress
Yellow Squash
Zucchini Squash

The Fat:Protein:Carb Ratios Of Different Diets

Different diets set different ratios for the so called macronutrients -- carbs, proteins, and fats. The Zone diet centers on the ratio 40% from carbs, 30% from proteins, and 30% from fats, which should be observed during every meal. The USDA food guide advises that up to 70% of daily calories should come from carbohydrates. The ketogenic diet (favored by the bodybuilders) ratio can be calculated using Wilder's formula: (fat x 90% + protein x 46%) : (fat x 10% + protein x 54% + carbohydrate x 100%) and is ranging from 2.2:1 to as high as 7.3:1.

The Banta diet suggests that the ratio of carb+protein grams combined to fat grams should exceed 2 in the beginning of the diet and can be maintained at the 1.5 level for as long as you keep losing weight.

From the above information can be seen that whether or not fruits are good depends on diet type. It's definitely OK with USDA food pyramid and is not OK on the ketogenic diet. It can be OK on the Banta diet if this particular meal containing fruits is balanced by sufficient intake of fats, e.g., heavy cream. Same is true for almonds. USDA advises to take them sparingly while on the Banta diet, it's a "free" food.

Fish and Eicosapentaenoic Acid

Eicosapentaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid. It's also called timnodonic acid or 20:5(n-3). All fatty fish species contain significant amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid in their tissues but the best source is considered to be cold salt-water fish, especially cod, and especially cod liver oil.

However, the best source in this case is not the the highest in 20:5(n-3) but can be rather the most common and easy to manufacture the fish oil supplement of. Here are some numbers to compare.

100 grams of cod liver contains 6.90 g eicosapentaenoic acid; herring (all flesh) is a little bit lower in in it -- 6.27 g; menhaden has 13.17 g of it while salmon has almost twice the amount: 13.02 g, and sardine has 10.14 g.

Fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid, and omega-3 supplements are clinically proved immuno-stimulators, anti-cholesterol and anti-tumor agents, can help to fight off arthritis and some skin diseases and bone diseases.

Research showed their benefits for Type II diabetes, obesity, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, burns, anorexia nervosa, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and early stages of colorectal cancer.

Anti-nutrients - Always Bad?

There is a number of naturally occurring substances called anti-nutrients, for instance lectins, phytates and tannins, which have been shown to reduce the digestibility of foods. For example, phytate can bind calcium and zinc thus preventing them from digestion.

On the other hand, these food chemicals can be beneficial. For example, soybean lectin can help in prevention of cancer, phytates can lower blood glucose, reduce cholesterol and triacylglycerols, and reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease. Tannins are known for their numerous health benefits including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and vascular-protecting properties.

Generally speaking, any substances that can slow down nutrient absorption and thus making them less available for the body can be called anti-nutrients. For example insoluble fibers surround starchy food particles preventing the treatment by enzymes and thus reducing the amount digested. Soluble fibers also reduce the rate of absorption by forming a barrier between food bulk and the intestinal walls.

Food and cooking technologies historically aimed to making the food more available for digestive enzymes. However, processing may also reduce digestibility as seen in the production of pasta, resulting in a harder physical structure, with less available carbohydrates.

Are There Calorie Restricted, Nutritionally Balanced Diets?

What do the nutritionists mean when they advise that a diet should be nutritionally balanced? If by "balance" they mean the right proportion of essential nutrients, a low calorie diet can be nutritionally balanced, all right. However, this is not what we usually want from a diet: we really worry about getting enough nutrients and this is not what we're going to have when we restrict calories. Why?

Our bodies need the same nourishment that was good for our predecessors tens of thousands of years ago, but our current lifestyle doesn't give us a chance to get it. The calorie intake from a diet based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) values for 50 essential nutrients is coupled with at least 4,000 and up to 10,000 Calories! This amount was about the same that was needed by our cave dwelling ancestors simply to survival. Theirs was a life spent on their feet; hunting prey; escaping predators; spending enormous amounts of energy to stay warm during winter or to cool during hot weather; fighting infections and parasites; losing blood; healing wounds; gathering edible plants; and women being either pregnant or nursing.

Here comes the energy flux idea based on the fact that eating more and exercising much more is a better way to maintain healthy weight and general health than eating less and exercising less: the greater energy turnover (flux) the better for you and a part of it is getting enough nutrients and burning the coupled calories off.

Blood Sugar After Oatmeal or No-fat Yogurt

It's now a well known fact that different foods affect blood sugar levels differently - stronger or weaker, faster or slower. The measure of these effects is called glycemic Index (GI) and here are numbers for most commonly misunderstood foods:

Oatmeal, slow cooking, GI = 53
Oatmeal, fast cooking, GI = 66
Yogurt, full-fat, GI = 22
Yogurt, nonfat, GI = 32

You can see that the instant oatmeal has rather high glycemic index meaning that after such meal, blood sugar level rises higher than it would after, say, steel-cut or whole grain oats.

By the same token, no-fat yogurt doesn't seem being beneficial for blood control since it has significantly higher GI. Recently, many diabetic dietitians agreed that adding 'good' fat to the diet help to control blood sugar since it decreases carbohydrate absorption - not only slows it down as the yogurt GIs indicate.

Tofu Classification and Uses

Tofu is essentially soy cheese. It is made of fermented soy milk pretty much the same way any cheese is made. Tofu comes in two main forms: silken (Japanese-style) and regular. Both forms of tofu can be soft, medium, firm, and extra firm.



Cooking tofu is both easy and difficult. The matter is, it doesn't have a flavor of its own but the good news is, it can perfectly absorb any flavor you want it to have. It is an opinion of the majority of home cooks that soft tofus are harder to deal with.



On the other hand, firm tofus can be use to cooking creamy things like sauces or pie insides. Firm tofu can be marinated and stir-fried, grilled, or sauteed.



Here's how you can make a perfect tofu dessert without baking and hassle.



Take:



1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups firm silken tofu

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted



Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Blend tofu with honey until smooth, mix with the chips and blend until creamy. Serve with toasted almonds.

Calories loaded with nutrients versus empty calories

If you take a glass of water and dissolve 3 teaspoonfuls of sugar in it you get a "food" containing:
- Calories 48.76

- Carbohydrate 12.59g

- Maybe traces of sodium and potassium - but nothing more.
Now, let's get this same amount of calories but contained in Cauliflower. You should take 2 cups to get the same amount of calories. With them, you receive the following nutrients:
Traces of fat

Sodium 60mg

Potassium 606mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.4g

Dietary Fiber 5g

Protein 3.96g



% of Daily Volumes of vitamins and minerals:



Vitamin A 1 %

Vitamin C 155 %

Calcium 4 %

Iron 5 %

Thiamin 6 %

Riboflavin 6 %

Niacin 5 %

Folate 29 %

Vitamin B-6 22 %

Phosphorus 9 %

Magnesium 8 %

Zinc 4 %

Copper 4 %



And this is not it! Cauliflower is on the "list of honor" of foods containing phytonutrients - carotenoids, flavonoids, and isoflavones - they help us to fight diseases that we already have and prevent us from those we are at risk of contracting. They protect from many kinds of cancer and heart disease, boost the immune system and neutralize oxydative damage to the tissues.



Cauliflower is just an example. Among foods that carry numerous beneficial substances coupled with very few calories, best of the best are:



Soy

Tomato

Broccoli

Garlic

Flax seeds

Citrus fruits

Melons: cantaloupe, watermelon

Pink grapefruit

Blueberries

Sweet potatoes

Chili peppers

Legumes: beans, and lentils



But there are still very good foods with many health benefits - green tea, red grapes, papaya, carrots, kale, nuts and seeds, eggplant, artichoke, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onions, apples, dried apricots, pumpkin, squash, spinach, mangos, and shiitake mushrooms.

The Cabbage Soup diet and Russian cabbage soup recipes

The cabbage soup diet consists of weekly cycles and each day of every cycle different foods are allowed, the majority of which are low calorie density foods. This means that ounce for ounce, they contain less calories than, say, meats or sweets. This favorably influences the amount of calories a dieter eats during every meal because the body registers the volume of food rather than its caloric content.



There are many cabbage soup recipes but for this diet, only those that very low in fat and protein are suitable.



On the other hand, the authentic Russian cabbage soup recipe is high in fat and rather low in carbohydrates, which makes it good for low carb diets. You can tell it from the list of ingredients (the recipe can be found at dietandbody.com/article1016.html)



Ingredients:



1 1/2lb. beef

1 1/2lb. sauerkraut

3 oz dried mushrooms

1/2 c pickled mushrooms (optional)

1/2 carrot, shredded

1 potato, cubed

1 onion, chopped

1/2c celery root, chopped

1/2 c celery stalk and leaf, chopped

1 T dill herb

3 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 T sunflower oil

1 T heavy cream

1/2 c sour cream

8 peppercorns, whole

1 t dried marjoram

The benefits of healthy oils

There are quite a few oils that are very beneficial for health. Olive oil traditionally is an important part of Mediterranean group of diets, which health benefits are being broadly discussed.



The beneficial effects of olive oil are due to its high content of monounsaturated - "good" fats protecting against heart disease and colon cancer, reducing "bad" cholesterol while raising the "good" cholesterol levels.



Another group of healthy oil is tree nut oils. A good example is Macadamia oil. Research showed that this oil can fight blood clotting, inflammation, high blood pressure and heart disease and also a few kinds of cancer. A valuable oil is walnut and flaxseed oils. They contain alpha-linolenic acid, which can become omega-3 in the body.



Omega-3 (and omega-6) are essential fatty acids because they are critical for good health. Eskimo people in Greenland, though eating foods that are very high in fat, have lower levels of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and psoriasis than the European because their habitual foods - first of all cold-water fish - are rich in omega-3 fats.



Many groceries now offer omega-3 margarine (free of very "bad" trans-fats) and even omega-3 eggs laid by hens fed on flaxseed.

How to cook low calorie food?

A low calorie meal can be a result of:



1) choosing low calorie ingredients or rather low calorie density ingredients containing fewer calories in a same volume than high calorie density foods;



2) using regular ingredients but limiting the amount of food in a serving.



Neither require any special cooking technique. The first method is preferable because human eating behavior is determined by a volume of meal rather than by the calories it contains, so the bulkier a meal, the less calories you'll consume eating until you are full.

Best sugar substitute

The most popular artificial sweetener is Sucralose (Splenda,) which is made of regular sugar, which tastes like sugar, and measures like as sugar. It is good for cooking, including baking, because it doesn't change the taste after heating. It has no calories and tough the label showes 1 gram of total carbohydrates, they are coming from 'volumizers' having no energy value.



Stevia is a Latin American plant, which leaf is 300 times sweeter than sugar. However, the taste is distinctly Stevia's, not sugar's.

Healthy Tuna, The Mediterranean Style

Tuna, canned tuna, too, is a good source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals and is low in saturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acids account for approximately 30% of the fat in tuna packed in water; they have excellent record of many health benefits, including but not limiting to help in maintaining heart health. The U.S. Tuna Foundation stated that the mercury levels in canned tuna are well below the very conservative limit set by the FDA. What's more, research showed that these amount haven't increased for the past 100 years.

To combine the benefits of tuna with the recently re-discovered benefits of Mediterranean diet, try this salad of canned tuna along with olives, anchovies, and artichokes.

First you need to do is blanch green beans: cook them beans in a small amount of boiling water for 10 minutes, then place in ice water until cooled; drain.

Toss together the following ingredients:

1 cup fresh green beans, blanched
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups mixed salad greens
2 6-ounce cans chunk white tuna
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
1/4 cup pitted olives

What is Glucofast? Does it Work?

Glucofast list of ingredients doesn't contain anything surprising. The herbs and a few micro-elements in it are usual components of many weight loss formulas or formulas claiming to be able to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Glucofast developers succeeded rather in the marketing field offering tons of testimonials while there's no clinical evidence published in peer reviewed medical journals. Are the happy users' endorsements necessarily all false? Not at all.

Here's what Glucofast consists of: L-Carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, Guggul, Licorice, Juniper berries, Gymnema sylvestre, banaba leaf, chomium, Cayenne pepper, bitter melon, vanadyl sulfate.

Some of the ingredients have been proved effective in blood sugar stabilizing, lipolysis (fat burning,) or appetite reduction - but nobody ever checked how the combination works. You might want to experiment with Glucofast if the price doesn't stop you from doing this. One-month supply costs $74.95.

Sugars and actual carbohydrates on food labels

Sugars on food labels means that regular (table) sugar is added. Actual carbohydrate grams are so called total carb grams including fibers. On a low carb diet, one should count the Net carb grams, which are actual carb grams including sugars minus fiber grams.

Quinoa and its Benefits

Quinoa, a staple food of Peru's Incan, is a seed of a leafy plant, which is a relative of spinach. The Incas called it the mother grain because of its exceptional nutritional values. For one thing, quinoa has higher than any other grain protein content - up to 14%. Quinoa is rich in calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins, and dietary fiber.

One cup of cooked quinoa contains 635.8 and 22.27g protein as well daily values:

Calcium 10 %
Iron 87 %
Thiamin 17 %
Riboflavin 34 %
Niacin 25 %
Folate 21 %
Vitamin B-6 19 %
Phosphorus 70 %
Magnesium 89 %
Zinc 37 %
Copper 70 %

To cook, rinse quinoa thoroughly, take 3 cups water for 1 cup quinoa, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed.